Prabhata Samgiita

[ATMAN]

We are the daughters of the land of liberation.
Singing and dancing over slopes and hills,
Beside sparkling fountains and streams.
We play the whole day long with kadama and pulash flowers,
Along lanes lined with shady mahua' trees.
We weave garlands into our hair,
Walking on the meandering forest paths.
The forest deer rejoice to see
Our joyful song and dance.
We are the blessed daughters of Parama Purus'a

[ATMAN]

Please, dear sister-in-law, I beseech you,
Oblige me by accompanying me.
I promise to weave a garland for you.
Yellow kolke flowers and radiant silk-cotton flowers have bloomed in millions,
I cannot stay indoors at such a time as this.
My mind dances excitedly to go to yonder forest;
Please come with me
I can't go there alone.
Who is that magician calling me from the forest?
My mind is restless to depart
Please, dear sister-in-law, have mercy on me;
Dancing let us go,
You just catch my hand

[ATMAN]

Bring me yellow marigold and golden champa flowers,
Or I shall cry and cry day and night;
I will neglect to tie my hair.
My friends have all gone to the market,
Dancing through the open fields.
Neither You allowed me to go
Nor did You bring me flowers.
I will never light the stoves again,
Nor decorate my ears with rings.
I'm sure the god of truth
Will dispense justice for this.
You simply give me pain after pain.
You couldn't bring a single flower for me.
I'm sure the god of truth
Will dispense justice for this

[ATMAN]

Early in the morning You came in rhythmic steps
As I was leaving for the forest.
You met me on my way
And like a sea gull, you came
Swooping down catching hold of my hand
The garland in my hair knot snapped,
The kadama flowers in my basket were strewn about.
Why did You come without warning?
Why? To show me a path which I already know?
In the magic web of your melody
My mind is intoxicated.
With the rhythmic cadence of Your dance
My mind is overjoyed.
Why do You lavish Your love on me?
I didn't want You,
Yet You came to flood me with joy.

[ATMAN]

If in an idle moment You ever thought of me, please forget that memory.
Please, forget that I ever loved You.
It was for You that I braided my hair and wove a garland
But today like a serpent devoid of its jewel,* I am burning in agony.
I have descended from that golden chariot.**
Please forget how many red dawns I picked flowers to adorn You.
Today all the sweetness is lost
And fled beyond the void.

* A poetic/mythological allegory for the soul. A serpent with a jewel in its crown symbolizes the unit mind and its soul. --Trans.
** The golden chariot symbolizes the hiranmaya kos'a, the sublest layer of mind. --Trans.

[ATMAN]

Alone, absorbed in deep contemplation of Him,
I have woven a garland for Him.
Only His shadow was to be seen on the riverbanks as the southern wind blew.
The bubbling waters said, "Listen, my friend, your Friend is the friend of all;
You will not get the chance to see Him alone."
The southern breeze whispered, "It would be better had you not loved Him;
He is like a star in the sky -- a distant nebula;
He sends His sweet smile from afar."
I shall yet attain Him through my love,
And I learned this lesson of love from Him.

[ATMAN]

I kept long vigils waiting for You to arrive.
But You did not come to me, O Lord.
You came from an unknown realm,
And You left for an unknown realm.
But You did not tell me where You went.
How many days have passed!
How many nights!
The shephali garland has withered
The flowers in my hair have faded and fallen to the ground.
You never came within my reach.
I will not entreat You to come to me,
I will not beg You to remain with me.
Nor will I take any offence over it.
If You will, then stay with me always
And don't forget my love

[ATMAN]

Tell me, where is my Krs'n'a?
Tell me, I beg of you, tell me.
I did not see Him anywhere, not in the madhavi arbour nor in the kadamba grove.
Wandering with tears and an afflicted heart, I have searched for Him,
In exhuberant joy I break into uncontrollable tears,
Yet He does not come within my reach.
Seeing His shadow on the shimmering blue waters of the Yamuna,
I searched for Him along the riverbanks with all my heart.
My days drift away on a drowsy melody of swan's wings.

[ATMAN]

For You I wove a ma'latii garland.
Only for You I rehearsed my songs.
Only for You I decorated myself with flowers,
I cry and cry to get You close to me.
Whatever I have attained, I got through Your grace.
And what I did not attain, it was because You didn't want it for me.
You led me on for my own welfare
With never thought of harming me,
So my heart is always tuned to Your rhythm.
You gave me conscience, intellect and intuition.
You elevated my mind above the seven worlds.
My matchless love for You will never end, life after life, and leading me to welfare.
You are the assuager of all my fears and doubts.
Crushing all obstacles in my way, I shall go to You.

[ATMAN]

Even though your eyes are filled with tears, you are one with beautiful eyes,
Tell Me why you didn't braid your hair.
The land-lotii are half-open and half-closed under the moonlight.
Who is that Unknown Traveller who came and captured your heart?
After captivating your heart He went away and didn't return again.
I hear that Traveller has come again, but He remains far away avoiding you.
He didn't come near, He had no courage; yet you didn't stop loving Him.
Although your eyes are filled with tears, your eyes are very beautiful.